Iron Lake
By William Kent Krueger

     William Kent Krueger does a fine job of blending a good story and strong believable characters, mixed with a smattering of Native American influences and beliefs to bring Iron Lake to life.

      Cork O'Connor, former sheriff becomes involved in the disappearance of a boy, the apparent suicide of a retired judge, and murder. He's not sure how he got so deep into this predicament, and the more he struggles to free himself the more mired he becomes.

     O'Connor has his own personal battles to fight as well. His marriage has fallen apart, and then there's the delicate relationship between a father and his children, especially a teenage daughter who is going through the normal stages of adolescence.

    The setting is rural Minnesota in December, adding the dimension of the rugged northern winter as another character in the story.

     Iron Lake is fast paced, the characters are interesting, and the plot is intriguing. It has all of the elements necessary to appeal to an extremely large audience. It's exciting, and yet not offensive. A great debut novel for Krueger.